


Belly Of The Beast

by JAYctzen



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Ace Lives, Ace character, Asexual Character, Asexual Jughead Jones, F/M, Fluff, Homeless Jughead, How Do I Tag, Insecure Jughead, Jughead POV, betty gets excited over everything - freeform, hopeless!Jughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2018-09-26 20:09:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9920462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAYctzen/pseuds/JAYctzen
Summary: He just knew that wanting to hold her hand gave him warmth in the pit of his stomach. Seeing her talk about a lead with such excitement made him want to respond without his voice dripping in sarcasm.A look into the mind of Jughead Jones and his thoughts about a particular blonde.





	1. Belly of The Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was nervous about entering Betty's room.  
>  _Betty's room._  
>  He didn’t expect the sight of familiar blonde hair to pause him in his tracks. He didn’t expect her turning around with her soft smile to make him feel warmth. Honestly, he’s thankful humour is his reflexive response, otherwise he would have just accepted her invite whole-heartedly.
> 
> A look into Jughead's thoughts leading up to 1x05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **NOTE: if read before 04/03/2017 please re-read!**  
>  Hey guys, something I came up with at 1am, enjoy!

He was nervous about entering Betty's room.

_Betty's room._

_~~~_

Growing up as Archie’s best friend, he grew up as Betty’s too. Over the years, he'd made plenty of trips here. Countless sleepovers with a pizza shared between the three, Betty helping him out with learning some scientific equation, holding Betty after she just learned her parents sent Polly away.

Due to the Grundy incident (as he called it) not only had Jughead become distant with Archie, but with Betty, too. He couldn’t keep tabs on her by waving through the window of Archie’s room. There was no need to travel from the Twilight Drive - In to that street; all his plans for summer were now close by. And that was fine by him; Jughead had been surviving on his own for long enough to know how to live without a friend.

Of course, that period would not be long-lived. Once Archie started explaining the reason for his distance, Jughead knew it wouldn’t be long until they were friends again. Whilst everyone else could see how _wrong_ the whole situation was, it was infuriating how Archie thought he was protecting someone innocent, someone he cared about. But Archie also wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, so his conscience ruled out. “Over many burgers,” was the agreed terms, and how could anyone not expect them to start on that straight after the game?

He didn’t expect the sight of familiar blonde hair to pause him in his tracks. He didn’t expect her turning around with her soft smile to make him feel warmth. Honestly, he’s thankful humour is his reflexive response; otherwise he would have just accepted her invite whole heartedly.

After that, it seemed Betty wanted to make Jughead a more permanent figure in her life. At first he wasn’t so sure about that. Writing the novel about Jason Blossom’s murder had been keeping him going that whole summer, shifting his attention to the Blue and Gold newspaper would take away from that. But really, the moment Betty said ‘Juggie’ he knew he would write whatever she wanted him to. He was just getting more material for his book, right?

Then he got the worst news he could; the land the Twilight Drive – In was built on was being bought by some anonymous buyer. That place was more than just a safe haven for cinephiles, it was his home. None of his friends knew that the old wooden building the biker gang frequented was also where he would spend the night. After Fred Andrews had fired his dad, it was only inevitable that his father would look towards the gang as his main source of income. So, Jughead packed his stuff and made the place he worked also his home.  Now, it was going to be just something that used to be a part of Riverdale, and he was letting Kev, Veronica and Betty know he was pissed.

“Right, Betts?” He paused for a moment after, wondering when he came up with the nickname. She didn’t seem too phased by it; the revelation that Ms Grundy and Archie were possibly an item was the focus of her attention. Jughead couldn’t blame her for that. Just over a week ago Betty was pouring her heart out to Archie, she had told Jug over the phone one night after her mother had decided to try to stop her hanging out with Archie and V. But it wouldn’t matter, because Archie’s heart had been in Grundy’s claws for months.

“Now that’s an odd combo of people.” Kev was right, seeing Ms Grundy, Fred Andrews and his son all stroll into the diner was an odd sight. If there was one thing to know about Betty, it’s that she couldn’t let some things go. So, off she went to go confront Archie about the whole affair, and all Jughead could think about wasn’t that his friend was going to be found out, or that Betty might realise that he had known about it all along, it was that Betty was going to go through the heartbreak all over again.

Whilst Betty was off sleuthing to prove to Archie Ms Grundy wasn’t who she said she was, he prepared for the Drive – In’s final showing, _Rebel without A Cause._ He should have known Betty would make the perfect choice.

_~~~_

At this point, Jughead was still going through his reaction to Trevor. The way she excitedly said his name when he walked in pulled at his heart. And then his stomach dropped when he heard those words “Absolutely, it’s a date!”

_It’s a date? Betty has a date?_

He felt the air constrict in his lungs. He had to focus on his breathing as Kev quizzed her about the incident, clearly as shocked as he was.

“It’s not a ‘date’ date...” Betty tried reasoning with Kev.

“You just called it a date. You literally said, ‘it’s a date’.” He didn’t mean for the words to sound so bitter on his tongue. The way his heart was beating in his ears made her excuse of “it’s just a cover” hard to digest. Whilst it did settle him in some way, Jughead still pondered for the rest of the day why he had such a physical reaction to this news. _Your friends are going to go on dates, heck your best friend was screwing a teacher and it didn’t affect you like this_

This was absurd. Jughead had known he was ace for a while now, seeing as he didn’t have the typical feelings his fellow teenagers seemed to have when looking at potential partners. And he certainly didn’t want to take Betty home and do whatever Trevor wanted to do with her. He just knew that wanting to hold her hand gave him warmth in the pit of his stomach. Seeing her talk about a lead with such excitement made him want to respond without his voice dripping in sarcasm. Yet, he knew why this was. There was a voice in the back of his head adding to his own internal dialogue.

 ** _It’s because she’s not on a date with_** _**you**_.

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at himself.

_This is your friend, Jughead; you can stand in her room._

**_A friend you have a crush on you mean._ **

"Ready to enter the belly of the beast?" He said casually, as though he hadn't been standing outside her door for the past 5 minutes.

And then she looked at him.

And she was _smiling._

Jughead must look ridiculous. He must, why was she smiling like that at him?

"It was the best I could do" he hated how quiet his voice became as he spoke, hiding his trembling hands in his pockets. 

She was still smiling at him, but, Jughead realised, it wasn't humour lighting up her eyes. It was affection. For him.

Oh boy, if that didn't make him smile too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> You can find my tumblr [here!](https://televisionphile.tumblr.com/)


	2. Also...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > In no time at all, the guards opened up the office again, and there Betty stood with her mother by her side. How he wanted to run to her, to envelope her in his arms until he _knew_ she was okay. Not because she told him so, but because he would be able to see it in her eyes and feel it in the way she hugged him back. Instead, his eyes bore into hers; trying to convey every ounce of concern he had for her.
> 
> Episode 1x06 with a Jughead POV 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **NOTE: If you read chapter 1 before 04/03/2017 please re-read as it was edited!**  
>  Enjoy!

Now that Betty and Jughead had decided to pay a visit to big sis, Polly, they had to actually know where to go. Jughead will admit that when he was invited to breakfast, his heart skipped at the idea of Betty wanting to spend time with him.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Jughead spoke into the phone, trying to add a flirtatious tone to his voice.

“I was thinking - you could ask to use the bathroom, my mom has to show you the way, I happen to take a look through her address book?” the excitement in Betty’s voice was the only thing that could make up for the sting he felt.  _Of course it was part of the investigation, why else would she invite you?_

“Great idea, Watson-”

“Um, excuse me; I’m definitely Sherlock in this duo!”

“Okay,  _Sherlock,_ ” he couldn’t help but smile into the phone as he said it, the idea of her in the floppy hat made him feel that warmth just her presence seemed to give him now, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Alice Cooper may be the closest thing to the devil walking on Earth. She had this whole air of fakeness, as though every word she said was to get you to spill some dark secret you had, or just to spite you. He often wondered how such a cold heart could make someone as full of light as Betty.

He had just about finished one pancake and there was already so much tension in the air. As he gulped down his orange juice, Betty raised her eyebrows, signalling it was go time.

"Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?" on cue, Alice insisted that she show Jughead to the bathroom. He made sure to use slow even steps, trying to prolong the time Betty had to try and get all the information. "Thank you, Mrs Cooper." he went to go in when her arm barred the door.

"Whatever you plan to do with my daughter, you're not going to."  _Oh God._ "Betty thinks that by inviting you here, she's getting a win over me. But I can assure you, this is the last time you and I will be sitting at the same table." she removed her arm and crossed them in front of herself, a smug smile on her lips.

"Oh believe me, Mrs Cooper; you just said my ultimate dream.” He wishes he could have seen her face.

_~~~_

_Sisters of Quiet Mercy: Home for Troubled Youths._ Even reading it out loud gave Jughead chills. But they were both determined, and there was no way in hell they were going to let Polly rot in there just because Alice thought she was crazy. They climbed the steps of the stone building, colder on the inside than out. A million films flicked through his head that Jughead could compare the home to, sure there were more than a hundred sinister things going on in there. Jughead knew that he wouldn’t be allowed into the building, seeing as he wasn’t family, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t worry about Betty. He alternated between sitting on the uncomfortable wooden chairs that lined the hall to pacing up and down it. What would her reaction to seeing Polly be? What if Polly actually _was_ crazy? In his mind, her eyes were filling with tears as she realised everything her mother said was true. He hated that he knew what that looked like.

He stopped and screwed his eyes shut. _Focus, Jughead, be strong for her._ When he opened them again, there Mrs Cooper was standing in the reception, eyes shooting daggers towards him. Then, two pairs of hands grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into an office, locking the door behind them. Quickly, he fished out his phone and looked for Betty’s number and saw he had no service in the room. If he hadn’t been so worried about Betty, he could have actually been able to warn her. This whole feelings thing was messing with him. Before, he could keep a calm composure and sass anyone who thought they could shake his resolve. Now Jughead could pace the room, hoping Betty could get the answers she was looking for.

In no time at all, the guards opened up the office again, and there Betty stood with her mother by her side. How he wanted to run to her, to envelope her in his arms until he _knew_ she was okay. Not because she told him so, but because he would be able to see it in her eyes and feel it in the way she hugged him back. Instead, his eyes bore into hers; trying to convey every ounce of concern he had for her. Betty nodded, and he was finally able to walk out of the room, the weight of anxiety lifting off him a little. The thought of having to talk to Alice about this was interrupted as Polly stood in front of them, visibly pregnant. Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. Polly was pregnant with Jason’s baby and they were planning to run away. That was, until...

“Jason’s dead and you didn’t tell me? And you kept me in here?” Jughead could feel the pain in her voice as she screamed at her mother, empathised with her anger at being locked away in this asylum for months with no news about the boy she planned her future with. Polly reached out for Betty as she was being dragged away, and by instinct Jughead stepped forward only to be slammed to the wall by the guard. Watching Polly being dragged away, he could only wonder what other things this murder was going to reveal.

_~~~_

The next day, Jughead knew what he was going to do. Well, sort of. He couldn’t wait anymore for Betty to call him up when she was ready to continue this investigation. He was restless; thinking about the things she had to go through last night. He walked up to the front of the Cooper household, the car in the driveway letting him know at least one parent was home. He was about to attempt knocking on the front door when he saw the wooden ladder leaning against the garage. As quietly as he could, he set it up against Betty’s window and climbed. She was sitting at her dressing table, clutching that cross she kept around her neck and he could already get a sense of the emotions she must be going through. He tapped lightly on the window, seeing her face light up with mischief at the sight of him. Could his presence really do that, make her happier?

“Hey there Juliet.” If she only knew that’s truly how he saw her, that like Romeo climbing up Juliet’s balcony, here he was, clambering through her window just to make sure she was all right.

Of course, she wasn’t. She had doubts about Polly, whether she was or wasn’t crazy.

“All I can think about is maybe I’m crazy like they are!” even though she said it with humour in her voice, Jughead knew that is what she truly believed. If there was anything Jughead knew how to do, it was how to distract people.

“Hey, we’re all crazy.” somehow that actually made her laugh. “We are not our parents, Betty. We are not our families.” Now she was relaxing into the hand on her shoulder. _Is it because of what I said or.... because of me?_

This internal conflict had gone on for too long. He couldn’t take second guessing every action they both made, wondering if it was laced with another meaning.

“Also...” it came out choked, stopping the rest of his words he was supposed to say. There he was once again, standing in her room, not knowing what that look in her eyes meant, or how to respond to the _what_ ’s that came out her mouth. Yet his eyes found her lips, he may have imagined hers finding his. So he did the only thing his body seemed to be able to do. He brought his hand to his face and kissed her.

No literature or film could have prepared him for this. This is what his mind had been searching for since he saw those bright blue eyes in the diner, this feeling of light spreading through his body. When he focused he felt her hand on his cheek, and as they pulled apart, he could feel a smile on her lips to let him know, that just maybe, she felt the same way too. He couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him, to finally know what _that_ felt like. Then someone had to close their car door.

“The car!” he couldn’t even feel hurt as she talked about the lead, telling him about the car Polly said was hidden for the event of her and Jason running away. It was this passion that had him thinking about her all throughout his days, that kept him feeling like he was still being kissed by her.  He would follow her to the end of time at this point, what’s a little trip to the edge of town?

Once they found the car and told Sheriff Keller that he would have all the evidence he needed about Jason wanting to run away, next was Polly. Betty didn’t even wait for the nurse to tell them to sign in, she just ran past them, the urgency of the situation radiating off her in tangible waves. But neither of them were expecting to open that door and to see Polly missing, the window shattered with blood covering the edges. Jughead pulled Betty into his arms, her body heaving against his as sobs erupted from her body. He placed a kiss to her forehead, her grip on his jacket tight, but her sobs became further spread apart, her muscles relaxing into his touch. For now, this was all he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE ARE OFFICIALLY CANON!!! I loved 1x06 and all their little scenes together!!
> 
> Plans - chapter per episode into the mind of Jughead Jones during bughead scenes. Thoughts?
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr.](https://televisionphile.tumblr.com/)


	3. Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An explanation

So I just wanted to explain what happened with this fic. First of all exams got ahead of me so I could not update weekly. And then well, any of you who watched season 1 of the show know how any hopes of Jughead being ace were thrown out the window. At first I wanted to continue and just keep it ace but i couldn’t watch the show anymore. Thank you to all of you who left nice comments and who took the time to read this AU. I’m going to leave this up as it as just a two chaptered piece in a couple of weeks. Love you all <3


End file.
